1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to display shelves for displaying items of merchandise. More particularly, the invention relates to display shelves including biasing mechanisms for biasing items of merchandise toward a front of the display shelf.
2. The Prior Art
Merchandise for retail sale is typically arranged in parallel rows on modular shelving units. Such an arrangement allows prospective purchasers to view and select a product for purchase. As merchandise is removed from a front of the display, the shelf is re-stocked and leveled by moving merchandise to a front of the shelf to present a neat, orderly and fully stocked appearance. It is known to use a biasing device to bias a row of products displayed on a shelf toward a front portion of the shelf. Such devices push a row of remaining products forward toward a front of the shelf as a product is removed, thereby maintaining a neat, fully stocked appearance and eliminating the need for manual leveling of shelves.
When existing display shelves including a biasing mechanism are re-stocked with merchandise, the person re-stocking the display shelf typically inserts as many items of merchandise as the particular display shelf can accommodate. The capacity of the display shelf in this connection is limited only by the rearward distance that the biasing device may travel. For a number of reasons, however, it may be desirable to limit the number of items which may be displayed on a display shelf. For example, it may be desired to limit the amount of a particular item of merchandise which has a high instance of theft to fewer than the total amount of items which the display shelf could otherwise accommodate. In this way, total loses due to theft of the item may be reduced.
Accordingly, the need exists for a display shelf having a biasing mechanism, wherein a rearward travel of the biasing mechanism may be selectively limited in order to limit the number of items of merchandise which the display shelf can hold.